

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1qBxI.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1qBxI.png)
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/p3OvX.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/p3OvX.png)

どうでしょうか 職業柄器用だとは思っていますが

In the very first panel, upon reading a report, the character comments that
the guy has no particular ability.

To which the character replies

どうでしょうか 職業柄器用なほうだとは思っていますが

My reading for is akin to 職業柄器用だとは思っていますが "I think that due to the nature of
my job (職業柄), I'm more on the skilled/dexterous (器用) side very literally.

However how is どうでしょうか used here? My reading initially seemed to be more akin
to "How about this?"


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sentence questions particle-か
What kind of nuance does どうでしょうか have in this senence?


It's hard to translate without proper context, but given what you provided...

The first image, with Character A's line, does not have an affirmative tone as
you suggested. Instead of accusing Character B of not having skills, it is
rather a question that ends with the とか [listing
particle](https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/%E3%81%A8%E3%81%8B-%E3%81%A8%E3%81%8B)
(並立助詞).

The question is:

"何でも特殊な能力を持ちだとか"

It could be translated to:

"Do you have any special abilities?"

Character B replies with "どうでしょうか、職業柄器用なほうだと思っていますが". The usage of the
volitional form here (verb stem + よう or おう) implies a level of uncertainty and
an inquiry directed at the listener.

It could be understood as: "What do you think?" "How about that?" "What's your
opinion about that?"

That paired with the が conjunction at the end [implies a continuation with
contrast](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/conjunctive-particle-ga-
kedo/). This conjunction is often used [to soften the tone of a question or
request in Japanese](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/39015/what-
is-the-meaning-of-%E3%81%8C-as-a-sentence-ending-particle-here). In this
context, I would guess that Character B is insecure about his own image and
due to the bad impression that the report gives, so he wants to provide a
counterpoint to that.

It could also be that he is completely confident in his handiness and
dexterity and socially oblivious when it comes to his report.

I would translate it as such:

"What do you say? I consider myself dexterous because of my profession."

It could be seen as a provocative rhetorical question, or it could be a
genuine inquiry depending on who is involved in the conversation. As I said,
without knowing the full context, the interpretation is ambiguous.


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Depending on the context, どうでしょうか can have two completely different meanings:

  1. "I'm not so sure", "I doubt it", "I wonder about that"
  2. "What do you think?", "Any thoughts?"

In this context, it's used in the first sense.

> [何でも](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/96436/5010)[特殊な能力]{・・・・・}をお持ちだとか。  
>  From what I heard, you own some "special ability"?
>
> **どうでしょうか** 。職業柄器用な方だとは思っていますが。  
>  **Not sure about that**. Given my profession, I do believe I'm rather
> dexterous, though.


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